SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011 This morning the temperature was 58 and cloudy when we hooked-up the jeep behind the motorhome and left the campground in Tok, AK. We stopped for diesel before we left Tok because it would be our last opportunity to by fuel in the USA for many days. The diesel was $4.689/gal. but, was still cheaper than we'll find it in Canada. Soon after we pulled out of Tok it started to rain, but not too heavy. We cleared Canadian Customs and entered Canada with only the normal questions, no searches or inspections. The road situation on the Alaska Highway has changed somewhat since we entered Alaska as there has been a lot of road work. Now we there are fewer frost heaves (still a lot) and more very long gravel sections, many 20-30 miles long, where the dust ahead hangs in the air for miles. The gravel (rocks) are quite large and pepper your vehicle and the risk of damage or broken windshields is great. It was still only 62 degrees when stopped for the night at a pull-off beside the Alaska Highway and had begun to drizzle rain again.
MONDAY JULY 25, 2011 When we got on the road again it was 59 degrees and still drizzling rain. We stopped for fuel at White Horse, YT and continued toward Watson Lake. BC. We stopped again north of Watson Lake to top off our tank as we understood fuel is hard to find on the Cassiar Highway. Soon after fueling we turned onto the Cassiar and found the going slow; the road is narrow and built-up above the surrounding land with no shoulders. If one were to get too close to the edge the 45 degree slopes would quickly cause you to overturn. We stopped for the day around 4:30 p.m. at a business located in the middle of nowhere called "Jade City" which has a free RV parking area. However, I soon found out once again that "there ain't no free lunch" because their gift shop is filled with "must haves" and we more than paid for our nights' stay. Ben talked with the driver of another motorhome also staying a Jade City for the night and the driver said he got too close to the edge when he met a truck and slid over the side of the road. Five hours and a $2,100 wrecker bill later he was on the road again with only minor damage and a broken windshield; he was very lucky.
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| SOME OF THE CASSIAR MOUNTAINS |
TUESDAY JULY 26, 2011 We departed Jade City at 8 a.m. and it was cloudy with a temp of 52. The Cassiar Highway , which is Route 37, has lots of road construction and we hadn't gone very far when we had to stop and wait about 20 min. for the "pilot car." We were lucky as we were the first vehicle behind the pilot car as the road was so dusty that we couldn't see Ben behind us and much less the vehicles behind him. We found similar situations with construction and dust as we continued on Rt. 37, however, it again started to drizzle rain which did help control the dust. After lunch we saw three black bears before we turned onto Rt. 37-A toward Stewart, BC. 37-A has long grades and sharp curves, lots of log trucks and beautiful views including glaciers. We checked in to the Bear Creek RV Park in Stewart around 4 p.m. and had dinner with Ben and Bonnie; Ben grills an excellent steak. After dinner we drove the jeeps to Hyder, Alaska in hope of seeing bears catch salmon. I was reminded again of why we choose to tow jeeps instead of another vehicle, as the roads in Hyder and beyond are dirt and very rough, so the going was slow. It was very interesting to see the salmon swim up-stream in the shallow river and wallow out an area in the gravel bottom in which to lay their eggs. We didn't have to wait too long before a mother black bear and her cub came to fish. The mother bear tried and tried to catch a salmon but they were all to fast for her; but, we sure had fun watching her try.
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| BLACK BEAR TRIES TO CATCH SALMON |
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| BLACK BEAR SOW AND CUB |
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